A critical review of the (potentially) negative impacts of current protected area policies on the nature conservation of forests in Turkey

Together with a better appreciation for the importance of protected areas, efforts for environmental protection have been increasing both at international and national level. However, when changes in policies related to protected areas are evaluated it is observed that in some countries protected areas administrations highlight utilisation rather than conservation. Turkey is also one of those countries which undergo such discussions. Although there has been no significant increase in the number of protected areas whose protection characteristics are highlighted, there has been an extreme increase in the number of recreation areas and newly established nature parks. In addition, it was found out that significant changes have been made with regards to regulations, administrative approaches, and implementation practices to enable opening of protected areas to non-forestry uses. Moreover, regulations such as the “Resolution for Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Law” are brought forward in this period, which will increase the utilisation of protected areas. Current nature protection policies and administrative approaches that highlight utilisation should be radically changed. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

Analysis of forest change and deforestration in Turkey

The paper assesses the extent of the forest area change in Turkey between 2005 and 2015 across 81 provinces and seven geographical regions. The results show that the situation varies at provincial and regional levels, but overall Turkey's forest area increased. An increase in forest areas in 60 out of 81 provinces was recorded, while there was a decrease in 19, and no change in the remaining two. There was a significant negative correlation between forest area and human population size. However, the change in forest area was found to have a significant positive relationship with the change in forest growing stock and current annual increment. Decrease in forest area was mainly seen in the provinces where there has been an intensive population increase, mainly through the impact of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. In addition, it was observed that forest areas in these provinces became more fragmented due to allocations based on new legal regulations. A further finding was that the increase in total forest area was not the result of afforestation efforts by Turkey's forestry organisation but resulted from changes in the socioeconomic structure of the population, and related processes such as rural to urban migration

Comparative Analysis of forestry policy and implementation during the AK Party Period in Turkey

Political and economic transformations in many parts of the world have threatened the existence of forests and the sustainability of forestry. Industry, agriculture, energy and land settlement policies inflict damage on forests and other natural assets. This kind of damage. tantamount to deforestation, is the result of government policies that consider forests as a source of revenue, not as an asset to be protected. This study evaluated the success of forestry policies and practices under the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) over a period of 13 years. The previous 13 years were then taken as a control group and compared to them in order to evaluate the success of the AK Party. Overall 26 years of forestry policies and practices in Turkey (1989-2015) were examined. According to the official records, Turkey's forests areas are growing. This growth, however, is not caused by the afforestation but by the effects of immigration from the countryside to cities. Also increased demand for wood is intensifying the pressure on forests. Although the use of forests for non-forestry purposes fragments the forest ecosystems and reduces forested areas, these losses have not been recorded by official statistics. Protected areas are being transformed into recreational areas and their management is not following the wishes of the people. The reason for this is that the government prioritises economic growth over environmental concerns

Sustainable Forestry in Turkey

Sustainable forestry is considered as one of the most important focal points for sustainable development, as it is part of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio in 1992 which followed the completion of "Our Common Future." To this end, many studies have been carried out on implementing of sustainable forestry at the global level.Geographically, Turkey can be seen as part of Pan-European and Near East sustainable forestry initiatives. Forest organizations have carried out many studies to implement the decisions made with these initiatives in line with their own needs in forest management. While conducting studies in the framework of the National Forestry Program prepared within this context, people have been confronted with various problems due to insufficient infrastructure and implementation difficulties. This article provides information on sustainable forestry leading to observations and suggestions relevant for Turkey. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Factors affecting women's participation in forestry in Turkey

This study analyses women's participation in forestry. The study was carried out with 270 women in the Barti{dotless}n province, located in the West Black Sea Region of Turkey. By employing a Principal Component Analysis it was found that the most important factors affecting women's participation are women's perception related to (1) forest dependence, (2) quality of cooperatives, (3) quality of Forest Organisation, and (4) forest quality. These four factors explained 58% of women's participation. These factors need to be taken into consideration to enhance women's participation in forestry and to achieve sustainable forestry in Turkey. Regression analyses indicate that age, marital status, the rate of population increase and wealth are important variables for explaining variation in levels of participation. The estimated game theoretic model on women's participation indicates that the sharing of forest benefits among women in Turkey is considerably harmonious, while there is scope for improving the Forest Organisation, namely by stimulating participation towards a more effective management of the Turkish forests. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of Turkish forest policy documents in the rural development scope

The interaction between forest resources and forest villagers has made rural development a privileged component of Turkish forest policy. In this context the main aim of the study was to investigate the framing of rural development issues in national forest policy by using content analysis method. The economic aspect is the most prominent dimension regarding rural development in the context of national forest policy, environmental and socio-cultural factors follow it respectively. Also, the main approach depends on supporting the forest villagers and its development is seen as an essential tool to protect the forest resources

Social and Environmental Justice: Diversity in Access to and Benefits from Urban Green Infrastructure – Examples from Europe

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Differences between urban and rural population with respect to demand on forestry aspects, in a case study of the Turkish province of Bal kesir Diferenças entre a população urbana e rural em matéria das suas exigências de silvicultura, estudo de caso da província turca de Bal kesir

Inhabitants of urban and rural areas are important participants in the process of developing and implementing forest policy. Thus, it is essential to determine their demands and attitudes towards forestry issues. In this context, the demands and evaluation of forest functions are investigated in a case study of the Turkish province of Bal kesir. The findings of the case study show that differences in terms of demands among inhabitants of rural and urban areas are related to forest fires fighting, crimes fighting, forestry-tourism integration, forestation and regeneration activities, and the enlargement of forest areas. The main differences among their assessments of forest functions are related to fire wood production, and the provision of flood and erosion control, nature protection, and recreational opportunities. The findings are important for conflict management and for local decision making. By using the findings of similar studies, the provincial organizations should harmonize their priorities with the expectations of relevant interest groups.<br>A política de silvicultura da população urbana e rural é uma participante fundamental no processo de formação e execução das florestas. Portanto, é importante determinar as exigências e as aproximações em matéria da silvicultura. A determinação das exigências da população urbana e rural no âmbito desse processo e a interpretação destinada aos assuntos das funções da floresta foram pesquisadas tendo como base a província turca de Bal kesir. As constatações resultantes do estudo na região demonstraram que as diferenças entre as exigências da população urbana e rural em matéria da silvicultura são a luta contra os incêndios florestais, a luta contra os delitos florestais, a integração de silvicultura-turismo, as atividades de reflorestamento e rejuvenescimento da floresta e a ampliação dos campos florestais. Por outro lado, as diferenças fundamentais entre as constatações feitas em matéria das funções da floresta são a produção de lenha, a prevenção de erosão e inundação, a protecção natural, o projeto de recreação. Os resultados obtidos são importantes para a gestão de estudo e para a tomada de decisões no âmbito local. As instituições locais devem adaptar as suas prioridades e as exigências dos grupos interessados tirando proveito das constatações obtidas em estudos semelhantes

Socio-economic and cultural sources of conflict between forest villagers and forest; a case study from Black Sea Region, Turkey

Human relations with the forest ecosystem vary greatly according to biophysical, demographic and economic conditions. Understanding the mutual relationships among these conditions can enable a better understanding of their drivers. Therefore, in this study, a forest management unit and the rural population within this unit were examined and the existence of the conflict phenomenon, the mutual relations between the elements possibly causing the conflict, and the dimensions of these relations were investigated. The study found that only 12% of the forest villagers were educated at a middle-school level or higher and only 17% of this section of low-income people worked in forestry activities for additional income. It was determined that the crime awareness level of the villagers engaged in forestry activities was higher than in those who did not work in this sector (X2 = 30.78; p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the number of people who were penalized for forest crimes increased in parallel with the need for firewood / wood in their households (X2 = 9.96; p &lt; 0.05). It was found that by raising the forest villagers’ awareness concerning their legal rights, their crime awareness level also increased. (X2 = 157.46; p &lt; 0.05). As a result, the study revealed that the income and education levels of the forest villagers had a direct effect on forest crime as the main indicator of the conflict between forest villagers and forest management. © 2020, Springer Nature B.V